Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion is a Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Growth) estate located in the Pessac-Léognan appellation of Graves, south of Bordeaux. Château Haut-Brion is the oldest continuous winery in Bordeaux, with records of viticulture on the estate from 1423. Haut-Brion has been celebrated for centuries. Samuel Pepys tasted the wine at Royal Oak Tavern on April 10th 1663 and wrote that he "drank a sort of French wine called Ho Bryen that hath a good and most particular taste I never met with". One of the world’s earliest tasting notes!
In the 1855 classification, Haut-Brion was the only First Growth not in the Médoc. The estate is managed today by Prince Robert of Luxembourg. Since 1982 they have increased selection using less than half the number of grapes in the Grand Vin, which has had a notably effect on quality. In addition to the Grand Vin, Haut-Brion produces a red second wine called Le Clarence de Haut Brion. The vineyard also produces a dry white wine named Château Haut-Brion Blanc which is very highly prized.
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£7,255.27 |
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Wine Advocate (93)Tasted at the château, the 1986 Haut Brion is a vintage that I had not tasted for some time. It is a blend of 28% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 62% Cabernet Sauvignon according to the chateau's records. Mirroring the 1996 La Mission, in this vintage that Haut-Brion occupies a higher quality level, with more complexity and vivacity on the nose: dusky black fruit, warm gravel, terracotta and cigar humidor. Lovely! The palate is very well balanced, maybe a little rustic compared to recent vintages, yet with firm body and grip. It's the kind of gruff, almost surly, broad-shouldered 1986s that might be a little curmudgeonly compared to 1985 or 1989, however after 30 years you are compensated with plenty of freshness and focus. I don't think it ranks up there with the best of the First Growth...that would come in other vintages, but it still provides plenty of drinking pleasure for those who love their classic claret with capital C. Tasted July 2016. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bordeaux | 1 | 93 (WA) |
In Bond
£6,014.00 |
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Wine Advocate (93)Tasted at the château, the 1986 Haut Brion is a vintage that I had not tasted for some time. It is a blend of 28% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 62% Cabernet Sauvignon according to the chateau's records. Mirroring the 1996 La Mission, in this vintage that Haut-Brion occupies a higher quality level, with more complexity and vivacity on the nose: dusky black fruit, warm gravel, terracotta and cigar humidor. Lovely! The palate is very well balanced, maybe a little rustic compared to recent vintages, yet with firm body and grip. It's the kind of gruff, almost surly, broad-shouldered 1986s that might be a little curmudgeonly compared to 1985 or 1989, however after 30 years you are compensated with plenty of freshness and focus. I don't think it ranks up there with the best of the First Growth...that would come in other vintages, but it still provides plenty of drinking pleasure for those who love their classic claret with capital C. Tasted July 2016. |
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